Fence



(No Model.)

D. WARNER.

l FENCE. f No. 396,249. ]?f \1;e11ted Jan. 15, 1889.

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UNITED STATES DANIEL VARNER, OF BRONSON, MICHIGAN.

FENCE.

SPECIFICALIOIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,249, dated January 15, 1889.

.Application filed March 2'7, 1888. Serial No. 268,614. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL VARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bronson, in the county of Branch and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fences, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in fences; and it consists in a certain novel construction and combination of devices, fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying pointed out in the appended claim.

Figure l is a perspective view of a portion of a fence embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view to show the manner of tying the upper ends of the posts and braces over the riders. Fig. 4 is a side view of portions of two adjoining top rails to show the joint between them.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A A designate vertical posts of the fence arranged in pairs at suitable distances apart, and preferably tap erin g upwardly, as shown, with their bases resting on the surface of the ground.

B B are the top panel-rails, having notches b in their meeting surfaces near their ends, which overlap, the said notches having vertical opposing shoulders b2. The ends of these rails are beveled on their meeting surfaces, so as to enable the corresponding shoulders and notches to en gage.

Before the lapping ends of the top rails are arranged between the posts they are tied together loosely by a loop of wire, C, which is passed around the joint. The loops are now slipped down over the upper ends of the posts until they arrive at the proper distance from the ground, and the loops are thereby somewhat tightened around the joints of the rails. The lower ends of the posts are now drawn vtoward each other until their adjacent sides are parallel, after which the lower ends of the posts are connected by the tie-wire D. The act of forcing the loops down over the posts causes the latter to incline toward each other over the top rails at their upper ends, and therefore to separate at their lower en ds, ,and consequently when the lower ends of the posts are drawn toward each other and tied the joint between the panel-rails is firmly drawings, and specifically` tied. The crossed or inclined braces E E are now arranged on opposite sides ofA the fence and' bear against the upper edges of the corthe posts, and are rested in the fork or upper angle formed by the inclined braces, after which the upper ends of the braces and posts are tied firmly together by the inner loop, f, which is so arranged as to form a figure 8 on the upper side of the riders. The panelrails G are now placed in position with their ends overlapping between the pairs of posts A.

The advantages of the improved fence will be readily seen. The tie-wires are prevented from slipping downward by the taperedshape of the posts. The tapered posts also enable the wires when first put in place to be tight ened, (it will be understood that this taper may be made as abrupt or as gradual as desired,) and the inclined loops e c, which connect the posts and braces, prevent lateral straining of the felice. Further, the manner herein described of connecting the adjacent ends of the top rails accomplishes the effect of providing a continuous top rail extending the entire length of the fence, and thereby longitudinally strengthening the structure.

I am aware of the patents to VatSOn, N o. 324,439, and Michaelis, No. 329,930, and disclaim the construction shown therein. said patents do not show the tapered posts, the tie-wire C, arranged, as herein described, to engage the said posts, or the connection between the lapping ends of adjoining rails.

Having thus described the invention and set forth its advantages, I desire to claim` In a fence, the combination of the lapped top rails, I3 B, provided with the notches b and the shoulders ZP on contact-ing sides, which engage with cach other, the wire loop C, loosely encircling the joint between the top rails, the/tapering posts A A, extending through/opposite ends of the said loops and IOO connected together at their lower ends by the ln testimony that claim the foregoing as Wire loops D, whereby the adjacent sides of my own I have hereto affixed my signature in [o the Said posts are held parallel7 the inolining' presence of two Witnesses. braces E E, bearing on and orossing` above the DANIEL VVARNER 5 top ralls and Connected to the adgaoent posts by wire loops e e, and the panel-rails lapped XVitliesses: between the posts A, substantially as and for CHAS. B. VHITAKER, the purpose specified. GEO. VAN FLEET. 

